Bracket assembly for shelters



Dec. 17, 1957 w. J. KU'HAR. JR 2,815,559

BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SHELTERS Filed March 2, 1956 I 2 sheets sheet 1 INVENTOK WILLIAM 1 gulf/7E, J2.

ATTOE/VEVS.

Dec. 17, 1957 w, J KUHAR, J 2,816,559

BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SHELTERS Filed March 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Iii INVENTOR. WILL/4M 1 (M /4e, 4e.

Unite States Patent BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SHELTERS William J. Kuhar, In, Washington, Ill.

Application March 2, 1956, Serial No. 569,147 3 Claims. (Cl. 135-71) This invention relates generally to portable shelters and is more particularly concerned with a novel shelter support bracket assembly and novel shelter assemblies provided when a plurality of the same are utilized.

Unsual weather conditions such as extreme heat, cold, or various types of precipitation cause inconvenience and uncomfortable working conditions, as well as giving rise to loss of time and proportionate increased cost in the building industry, for example. Since undesirable weather conditions cannot be changed, it is necessary to provide readily erectable shelters to obviate the undesirable etfects of the same, and when relatively large shelters are involved, the erection and disassembly thereof is relatively inexpensive, the initial cost is expensive, and as a general rule relatively cumbersome and diflicult to erect. Port able shelters of the character involved in order to be readily acceptable should be easily erected, disassembled and stored, easily maintained, economical in initial cost of manufacture and durable inasmuch as they are constantly being moved, erected and taken down. Presently advised, the prior art fails to provide a portable shelter including the desirable characteristics mentioned above.

A primary object of invention is to provide a novel shelter bracket assembly usable in pairs to provide a novel shelter of the character desired.

A further object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide a novel shelter bracket assembly of the character set forth inculding a body member having a foot and angularly extending central support portion wherein the central support portion includes thereon an abutment engageable with a vertical wall member or a ridge member disposed between a pair of the novel support bracket assemblies, said central support portion including clamp means for detachably securing an edge of a flexible shelter member extending longitudinally along the central support portion of the novel bracket assembly.

Another object of invention resides in the combination of a plurality of the novel shelter support bracket assemblies for providing novel shelters, the bracket assemblies being readily erectable, disassembled and maintained, said shelter support bracket assemblies including means for providing a lighting system for the shelters formed thereby, and including various support means for obtaining increased stability of the shelter constructed from the novel support bracket assemblies.

And yet another object of invention in conformance with that set forth is to provide a novel shelter support bracket assembly usable to provide novel shelters which are readily and economically manufactured, easily maintained, erected and disassembled, and efficient, practical and acceptable for the purpose intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the'details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a novel shelter utilizing the novel shelter support bracket assemblies, showing said shelter in use to protect a side wall portion of a building, and showing in phantom lines the manner in which a counter-balancing weight may be used with the support bracket assemblies for affording increased stability of the shelter;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a novel shelter similar to that of Figure 1, showing in dotted lines an alternate position of the clamping means of the novel shelter support bracket assembly;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Figure 1, with portions broken away, the socket element of the novel shelter support bracket assembly being removed;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view as taken in the direction indicated by line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an end elevational view, on a reduced scale, of a novel shelter construction utilizing the novel shelter support bracket assemblies.

Referring to the drawings in detail, as seen in Figure 1, a fragmentary portion of a building is indicated generally at 10, said building including an end wall 12, side wall 14, roof 16, and longitudinally extending eave trough portion 18.

A novel shelter assembly is indicated generally at 20 including novel shelter support bracket assemblies 22 and 24 which are of an identical character, and which have detachably connected therebetween a flexible shelter member 26 of any suitable material such as canvas, nylon, kraft paper, etc, which may either be translucent, transparent, or non-transparent. In addition, the shelter member may be of various colors for either absorbing the suns rays or reflecting the same, and the inner surface portion thereof may be of a different color than that of the outer surface. In view of the removable or detachable characteristics of the shelter member, during different seasons, different colors of material may be utilized.

The novel shelter support bracket assemblies include a body member indicated generally at 28 including a support foot portion 30 and an angularly related central support portion 32. The novel shelter support bracket assemblies may be constructed from tubular stock of a circular cross section, if preferred, however, any suitable material having the desired strength characteristics may be utilized.

The foot member portion 3% is substantially elongated and may have suitably secured in spaced relationship on an undersurface portion thereof transverse ground-engaging rods 34 and 36 which provide an increased bearing surface for the foot portion 30, and also provide means upon which a counter-balancing weight 38 may be disposed, see Figure l, in order to increase the stability of the shelter when assembled. The central support portion 32 may comprise a continuation of the foot support portion 30, being tubular, see Figure 4, and may have a plurality of angulated linear sections, or may consist of a single line member. The central support portion 32 has secured at its upper end a transverse abutment plate element 40 being secured thereon in any suitable manner, welding for example, said abutment plate 40 being disposed beneath the cave trough portion 18 in abutting engagement with the intersecting side wall portion 14 of the building as seen in Figure 1.

As most plainly seen in Figure 4, there is secured on the upper surface of the foot portion 30 at the intersection thereof between said foot portion and the central support portion 32 a hinge leaf 44 which is pivotally connected at 46 to an elongated clamping strap 48 which will extend longitudinally along the entire length of the central support portion 32 for the purpose of securing therebeneath an adjacent edge portion of the flexible shelter member 26. If desired, the clamping strap 48 may include on its undersurface portion 50 a plurality of spaced laterally extending friction increasing lug elements S2 for increasing the frictional engagement of the clamping strap on the flexible shelter member. The clamping strap 48 terminates at its upper end in an angulatcd portion 54 having a transverse aperture 56 extending therethrough which will be disposed over an integral externally threaded stud element 58 extending from an upper end surface of the abutment plate 4-0, and a suitable retaining nut element 6!? may be utilized to retain the clamping strap in a fixed position relative to the abutment plate. As seen in Figure 2, the manner in which the clamping strap 48 may be pivoted for the purpose of inserting the edge portion of the shelter member therebeneath is clearly illustrated. As seen in Figure 3, the clamp strap 43 may have a lower concave longitudinally extending surface portion for providing increased engagement with a greater area of the central support portion 32.

in view of the tubular construction of the central support member 32, see Figure 4, there may be provided in the bore portion 62 thereof a suitable electrical conductor wire 64 extending out of a transverse aperture 66 in the central support portion 32 and having secured on the end thereof a current inlet element 63 such as the male plug element seen in Figure 4. Suitably secured on an upper intermediate portion of the support portion 32 is a conventional bulb socket element 70 of any conventional character which removably supports therein a bulb '72 which is electrically connected to the wire 64, see Figure 3. Thus the novel shelter support bracket assemblies may each incorporate therein electrical wiring means for affording a lighting system for the shelter when erected.

In order to provide additional support for the bracket assemblies there may be secured on a lower intermediate portion of the central support portions 32 a transverse journal sleeve 74 which has journaled therein a shaft 76 which includes opposite ends which are threaded and have circumposed thereabout apertured ends of elongated support legs '78 and 86 being secured on said shaft 76 by means of suitable retaining nuts 82 on the ends thereof. if desired, elongated support members 78 and 80 may include on the lower end portions thereof trans verse foot portions 84 for engaging the ground.

The central support portions 32 may have extending in spaced relationship from intermediate undersurface portions thereof integral externally threaded studs 86 which are extendable through suitably apertured brace elements 88 which may be suitably secured at 96 to a central plate member 92 which is also secured to the central portion 94 of the flexible shelter member 26, said plate member 92 having extending transversely therethrough, if desired, an apertured portion 94 for accommodating a chimney in the event a heater is used within the shelter.

Thus as clearly seen in Figure 1, the novel shelter assembly which utilizes the novel shelter support bracket assemblies 22 and 24 is erected by detaching the clamping straps 48, inserting therebeneath on the upper surface of the central support portion of the bracket assemblies an edge or intermediate portion of a flexible shelter member, after the clamp straps have been secured at their upper ends to the abutment plate the shelter assembly can be moved into the position shown in Figure 1, after which the vertical support members 78 and 80 may be pivoted into engagement with the ground or support surface, and if desired counter-balancing weights 38 may be placed on the foot portions 30 of the bracket assemblies.

In the event it is desired to completely cover a trailer T, for example, seen in Figure 6, or a small building, a plurality of pairs of the novel shelter support bracket assemblies may be utilized as indicated generally at 96, the construction of Figure 6 utilizes a pair of the novel shelter assemblies 28 oppositely disposed as seen in Figure 6, and having extending longitudinally between the abutment plates 40 thereof elongated ridge members 98. The abutment plates 40 will have suitable transverse apertures therethrough which may be aligned with c0- operating apertures in the ridge member 93 (not shown) and extending through the aforementioned cooperating apertures are suitable retaining rods 100. In all other respects, i. e. the lighting system, support legs, the utilization of counter-balancing weights, etc. is the same with regard to the novel shelter assembly previously described.

Thus there has been disclosed a novel shelter support bracket assembly in conjunction with a plurality of novel shelter assemblies all of which fully conforming with the objects of invention heretofore set forth.

Various positional directional terms such as upper," lower," etc. are utilized herein to have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and it is not intended to require any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable shelter construction comprising a pair of spaced shelter bracket assemblies, and a flexible shelter member removably carried between the bracket assemblies, said bracket assemblies comprising an elongated body member including a lower support foot portion for receiving thereon a counter-balancing weight and being engageable with a support surface, said body member including an angular central support portion extending away from the foot portion, an abutment element on an upper end portion of the central support portion, and detachable clamp means on the central support portion of the body member removably securing an adjacent edge portion of the flexible support member along the length of the central support portion of the body members of the bracket assemblies, said clamp means comprising an elongated clamp strap element hingedly secured at one end on the body member and extending the length of the central support portion for clamping engagement along a longitudinal surface thereof, and means extending between the abutment element and the other end of the clamp strap element for detachably securing the clamp strap element in juxtaposed clamping engagement on the central support portion.

2. A portable shelter construction comprising a pair of spaced shelter bracket assemblies, and a flexible shelter member removably carried between the bracket assemblies, said bracket assemblies comprising an elongated body member including a lower support foot portion for receiving thereon a counter-balancing weight and being engageable with a support surface, said body member including an angular central support portion extending away from the foot portion, an abutment plate on an upper end portion of the central support portion abuttingly engageable with a vertical support, detachable clamp means on the central support portion of the body member removably securing an adjacent edge portion of the flexible support member along the length of the central support portion of the body members of the bracket assemblies, and an elongated brace member including an end secured to an intermediate portion of the body member and a lower end portion engag'eable with the support surface for the bracket assembly in spaced relation from the foot portion of the body member, said clamp means comprising an elongated clamp strap element hingedly secured at one end on the body member and extending the length of the central support portion for clamping engagement along a longitudinal surface thereof, and means extending between the abutment plate and the other end of the clamp strap element for detachably securing the clamp strap element in juxtaposed clamping engagement on the central support portion.

3. A portable shelter construction comprising a pair of spaced shelter bracket assemblies, and a flexible shelter member removably carried between the bracket assemblies, said bracket assemblies comprising an elongated body member including a lower support foot portion for receiving thereon a counter-balancing weight and being engageable with a support surface, said body member including an angular central support portion extending away from the foot portion, an abutment plate on an upper end portion of the central support portion abuttingly engageable with a vertical support, detachable clamp means on the central support portion of the body member removably securing an adjacent edge portion of the flexible support member along the length of the central support portion of the body members of the bracket assemblies, and transverse brace means detachably secured between the central support portions of the body members of the bracket assemblies, said transverse brace means affording support for an intermediate portion of a flexible support member and maintaining the bracket assemblies in a relatively fixed spaced relationship, said clamp means comprising an elongated clamp strap element hingedly secured at one end on the body member and extending the length of the central support portion for clamping engagement along a longitudinal surface thereof, and means extending between the abutment plate and the other end of the clamp strap element for detachably securing the clamp strap element in juxtaposed clamping engagement on the central support portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 756,672 Meinwieser Apr. 5, 1904 1,374,300 Henry Apr. 12, 1921 1,746,833 Hermansen Feb. 11, 1930 2,029,886 Marshall Feb. 4, 1936 2,690,185 Pomykala Sept. 28, 1954 

